Shining Stars, Moon Dusts, and Magic

CHAPTER 1: Shine

It was an ordinary peaceful morning. The students were all in their class. The corridors were quiet. The teacher was already late fifteen minutes.

Two violet orbs scanned the common surroundings. Daidouji Tomoyo observed on her seat with a usual smile on her face. She loved ordinary days. They were now in high school but their ordinary day routine remained the same as it was when they were in elementary.

Tomoyo knew well enough what an ordinary morning would be.

Sakura would tell stories about her morning, infuriated by her brother calling her a monster. On the other side, Syaoran-kun would say something to Sakura that would make the girl smile to him and would make his face entirely red afterwards. Then, Yamazaki would suddenly enter the conversation with a story about ancient aliens and their connections to the Great Brittain, to which the cute couple would believe on. Right there, Chiharu would mediate and stop Yamazaki with a mallet from nowhere. Slowly, the conversation would somehow lead to Naoko's ghost stories and to how good Rika's culinary skills were.

And just like what she had predicted, the ordinary day routine went on before her.

Tomoyo watched her friends with satisfaction, fully pleased and contented sharing her opinion every now and then into the conversation.

It would go on as it was up until someone from the class reported, yelling, "Sensei's here!"

In a flash, the students sat on their respective seats and waited as the teacher entered the room and apologized.

"Apologies, class, this is just so sudden." He scratched the back of his head. The class wondered why. He continued, recovering, "I believe you have a new classmate."

The class went, 'Oh, there's a new student.'

The teacher called, gesturing towards the door, "Come here and introduce yourself..."

The expected new student stepped into the room.

Before she could even settle her own reaction, Tomoyo sensed Sakura's jaw drop in surprise beside her and heard Syaoran and Yamazaki stand up from their seats.

The new student didn't have to introduce himself. Most of the class knew him back in elementary.

Syaoran yelled out in recognition, "YOU!" Then, Yamazaki shouted secondly, "Buddy!"

Next, the whole class went frenzied, "HIIRAGIZAWA-SAN!"

It wasn't an ordinary day, after all.

******

He sat behind her, just like before.

"Is this yours?" he asked in a low tone, when the students were all calmed down and when the teacher was currently writing on the board.

She turned her head to her right, sliding her vision to see the thing he was poking against her arm. It was a pen. She must have dropped it somehow that morning. She replied, "I believe it is." She took the pen from his hand and smiled, "Thank you, Hiiragizawa-kun."

He returned a smile and nodded courtly.

Then, she remembered she hadn't said a word to him about his return. She took the chance, "Welcome back, Hiiragizawa-kun."

"Thank you, Daidouji-san."

They were two perfect polite people.

******

Much to Sakura and Syaoran's relief, Hiiragizawa's return was not because of some trouble about the cards. They were all fine and the world was generally balanced and at peace. But – "Why?" Syaoran had once insistently asked. His simple reply was – "It seems better here, right?"